President Ramchandra Paudel’s approval on August 29, 2024, of the bill to amend the Enforced Disappearances Enquiry, Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act was widely welcomed. Political leaders in particular expressed great pride in their part in concluding an important chapter in Nepal’s peace process. The same day, however, a grenade exploded in Phaelelung Rural Municipality-5 of Panchthar district, claiming the lives of two children and leaving one injured. It was later discovered that the grenade was a remnant of the Maoist war (1996-2006). It was a clear reminder that passage of the transitional law alone is not enough to put the violent past to rest.

The guns in a decade-long war fell silent with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Accord in 2006, which stated that “both sides [the Government of Nepal and Maoists] shall assist each other to mark landmines and booby-traps used during the time of armed conflict by providing necessary information within 30 days and defuse and excavate them within 60 days.” Yet, nearly two decades later, the randomly left weapons from the conflict period continue to endanger people. The Panchthar case is one of several examples. In its recent editorial, Kantipur, the Post’s sister publication, highlighted six such incidents of explosions following the CPA’s signing. To take just two examples, in the explosion on April 30, 2020, two children had perished, while on October 29, 2022, four children had died.

The Maoist insurgency had a multifaceted impact on people’s lives. Many civilians who suffered injuries, who were displaced and who lost their loved ones still await justice. Many of them are obliged to live in poverty, and they still struggle with the war’s trauma. The Act, amended to heed their concerns, will go some way towards bringing them a sense of closure. Yet even the amended Act has loopholes. Even though the new bill addresses incidents of post-war explosions and promises relief to the victims, it is silent on locating and destroying all the remaining explosives from the conflict period. Such random explosions and death of civilians will also puncture the picture of Nepal’s successful peace process that the country rightly takes great pride in.

It is time for the government to carry out its legal obligations, honour the promises made in the CPA, and ensure that there is no more risk to public life from stray bombs and booby traps. To start with, there must be comprehensive mapping of all the war-time weapons, and the ex-Maoist leaders as well as the security forces should join hands to solve this lingering problem. Also, on a more philosophical note, even if the peace process is successfully concluded, the stray bombs are also a reminder that you can never fully recover from a bloody civil war. This is all the more reason to try to eschew violent means to get to political ends. Yes, Nepal is still beset with a legion of problems but violence, in the long run, only makes them worse.